Electric meter.



G. M; WILLIS.

ELECTRIC METER.

APPLIOATIION FILED JAN. 5. 1910.

Patented Jan. 20, 1914.

WITTTEES InvBnI UP 50535 M- Wzllxs 9W WH G. M. WILLIS.

ELECTRIC METER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 6. 1910.

1,084,720. Patented Jan. 20, 1914.

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ELECTRIC METER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5, 1910.

1,084,720. Patented Jan. 20, 1914.

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GEORGE M. WILLIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,TO

CHICAGO ELECTRIC METER COMPANY, ILLINOIS.

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ELECTRIC METER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I Gnoncn M. WILLIs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chi: cago, in the county of Cook and State oi Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Meters, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to electricity meters and has for its object thesimplification of meters of this class adapted to register the quantityof electricity flowing in any given circuit.

It is an object 01: my invention to provide an improved form of terminalpost and an improved means for sealing such posts so they may not beaccessible generally but may only he reached by a person havmg theproper authority.

It is a further object of my invention to provide means for securing thefield coil of the meter in place upon its supporting seat such retainingmeans also constituting an armature protecting means.

It is a further object of my invention to secure the cover of the meterin place in such a manner that the securing means are permanentlyretained in the cover and cannot by accident he lost. The means employedto secure the retaining means in th cover also serves to efiectivelyclose the open ings through the cover when the cover is in place uponthe meter.

It is the further object of my invention to provide an improved meansfor regulating the tension exerted upon the brushes bearing upon thecommutator connected with the rotatable armature of the meter, in orderthat any desired spring tension once secured may be permanentlyretained.

The several drawings illustrating my in vention are as follows:

Figure 1 is an elevation view of my meter complete. Fig. 2 is asectional view of the parts shown in Fig. 1 taken along the line 2-2.Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the parts shown in Fig. 1 taken along theline 3-3, with the exception that the armature in this figure is shownin full. lines. Fig. is a sectional view of one of the connectors andits insulating supports shown in Fig. 1 taken along the line 41-4. Fig.5 is a detail view of the sealing means employed to retain the PatentedJan 20,1 91 1.

5, 1910. Serial No. 536,550.

cover of the terminal box in place. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the brushconstruction employed in connection with my meter.

Similar numerals refer to siinilar parts throughout the several views.

As shown in the drawings, the casing 1 supports by bearings 2 and 3 anarmature shaft 4 upon which is mounted, as shown in Fig. 3, the armature5. The shaft 1- carries near its upper end the commutator 6 upon whichbear the brushes 7 supported by the studs 8 from the brackets 9 whichbrackets, as shown in Fig. 2, are supported and insulated from thebosses 10 formed on the base 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the brackets 9 carryadjustable yokes 11 which are engaged by the screws 12 extending throughthe outer bent ends of such brackets 9. Springs 13 are disposed aroundthe screws 12 to positively hold the yokes 11 in any desired position towhich they may be moved on the brackets 9 by the milled heads 14 securedto the ends of the screws 12. The yokes .11 have. connected to them oneend of the springs 15, the other ends of which are connected with thebrush holders 16. As a result of this arrangement, by moving the yokes11 upon the brackets 9 any desired tension may be exerted upon thesprings 15 and thus the brushes 7 may be caused to bear with any desiredpressure upon the commutator (5 and in any adjustment the springs serveto positively hold the yokes 11 in place since these springs 13 arecomparatively still.

The armature 5, as shown in Fig. 3 is disposed to rotate within thefield coil 17 around which is wound the starting coil 18. The field coiland starting coil are assembled together and constitute a singlestructure mechanically which is supported by lugs 19 extending from thebase 1 which lugs carry the integral extensions 20 adapted to engage theinside surface of the field coil 17. The extensions 20 thus serve toaccurately locate the field coil relatively to the armature 5 since thefield coil is always wound upon a mandrel of exact diameter and thus hasa constant internal diameter,

siderably and is not, therefore, as reliable for determining thelocation 01 the field coil. lVhcn in place upon the seat formed by thelugs 19 the field and series coils are held in whereas the outsidediameter may vary con- 7 position by a ring 21 through which clampingscrews 22 extend. These screws are secured at their lower ends in twodiametrically opposite lugs 19 and by removing the clamping nuts 23 fromthe screws 22 the ring 21 may be removed and thus the field coil may beremoved from the meter. The ring 21 has formed integrally therewith acentral hemispherical portion adapted to surround and protect thearmature 5 and prevent mechanical injury of the armature windings. Fromthe central.hemispherical portion 21 semicylindrical portions extend atthe top and bottom to clear the commutator 6 and the armature shaft 4:.H

The brushes herein shown consist of loops of silver wire secured attheir folded portions in any suitable manner to strips of metal 16*carried by the brush holders 16 which in turn are supported by the studs8 from the brackets 9. Two holes 16 are provided in each of the strips16 in order that the complete brushes and brush holders may beinterchangeable, these holes being provided to receive the outer ends ofthe springs 15, the particular hole which is used in each case beingdetermined by whether the brush rests above or below the commutator.

Below the meter casing proper, which is preferably of nonmagneticmaterial the terminal compartment 1 is formed to contain the connectingmeans for receiving the outside conductors. This compartment 1 isinclos'ed at the top by the lower wall 1 of the casing of the meterproper and this wall 1*.

has secured thereto by means of rivets a strip of insulation 24 whichengages and retains the upper end of the connectors 25.

These connectors 25 consist of round rods of metal flattened at theirupper ends to engage semicircular openings in the strip 2-1 while thelower ends are supported by bush-- ings 26 of insulating materialsupported in circular openings in the lower wall 1 of the compartment 1.The lower edge of the insulating strip 24; is held in place against thepartition 1 by means of the flange 1 extending parallel with thepartition 1 from the base 1 and when such strip of insulation isinserted in place and riveted to the partition 1 after the connectors 25are properly located, it will be observed that such connectors aresecurely held in place and cannector 25 in its flattened end, the sidesof such groove serving to prevent the conductor from becoming disengagedfrom the head of the screw 25 l The compartment 1 is provided with acover 27 hinged to the meter casing at 28 and in its closed positionadapted to be engaged by means of the bent catch 29 pivoted to the metercasing at 30. The catch 29 enters a slot 31 in the cover 27 and thusserves to prevent angular motion of the cover and the bent portion ofthe catch resting on the top of the cover when in its closed position,as shown in Fig. 5, firmly holds the cover down against the walls of thecompartment 1 In this position an opening in the outer end of the catch29 is brought into alinement with the opening in the lug 32 carried bythe cover 27 and the sealing wire 33 is then passed through suchregistering openings and held in place by a seal 34.

The cover 35 is held securely in place by means of the screws 36 passingthrough bushings 37, the threaded ends of such screwsengaging the posts38 extending outward from the base 1 of the meter. The screws 36 havesecured thereto at their outer ends milled heads 39 by which the screwsmay be turned and such screws are provided at their central portionswith enlargements 36 adapted to prevent the ready withdrawal of thescrews through the bushings 37. The bushings are preferably of softmaterial, as rubber in order to seal the openings through the cover 35when the screws 36 are turnedso as to bring the heads 39 positively intoengagement with the washers 40 which rest upon such bushings 37. It isto be noted that the bushings 37 have flanges on each end, the innerflanges serving to prevent the withdrawal of the bushings from the cover35 while the outer flanges serve to engage the washers 40. The outerends of the posts 38 are countersunk and the ends of the screws 36 arepointed to facilitate the entry of the screws into the ends of theposts.

While I have shown my invention in the particular embodiments hereindescribed, I do not, however, limit myself to this con struction, butdesire to claim broadly any equivalent that may suggest itself to thoseskilled in the art.

What I claim is:

1. In an electric meter, the combination of a casing, a cover for theoperating mechanism of the meter, posts extending from the casing,screws passing through the cover adapted to engage the posts, andbushings having enlarged ends and being of resilient material adapted toretain such screws in the cover, each of said screws being conformed toengage the ends of its bushing to prevent phe ready withdrawal of thescrew there- .rom.

2. In an electric meter, the combination of a. base, a rotatablearmature, a field coil for such armature, and a cover plate adapted toretain such coil in position and to cover and protect such armature.

3. In an electric meter, the combination of a base, a rotatable armaturesupported from the base, a field coil disposed in operative relation tosuch armature, lugs extending from the base to support such field coil,a cover plate having a hemispherical central portion, and means forsecuring such cover plate against the field coil in a position to holdsuch field coil against such lugs and to protect such armature.

4. In an electric meter, the combination of a base, a rotatable armaturesupported from the base, a field coil disposed in operative relation tosuch armature, lugs extending from the base to support such field coil,a cover plate having a hemispherical central portion, means for securingsuch cover plate against the field coil in a position to hold such coilagainst such lugs and to protect such armature, and ribs extending fromthe 25 base within the field coil to properly locate it relatively tothe armature.

5. I11 an electric meter, the combination of a base, a rotatablearmature supported from the base, a field coil disposed in operativerelation to such armature, lugs extending from the base to support suchfield coil, a cover plate having a hemispherical central portion,threaded posts secured in such lugs and nuts adapted to engage suchposts to 35 secure such cover plate against the field coil to hold thesame in place upon the lugs, such cover plate serving in this positionto protect such armature, and ribs extending from the base within thefield coil to properly locate it relatively to the armature.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 30th day ofDecember, A. D.

GEORGE M. IVILLIS.

Witnesses:

ALBERT C. BELL, ROBERT F. BRAOKE.

Copies of this patent mey be obtained 1'01- flve cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, walhlngton, D. 0."

